Not sure where you mean by "the somerville neighborhood" as there are several neighborhoods in Somerville the town....Coincidentally, my suggestion is The Neighborhood restaurant in Union Square. Giant portions of cheap, decent, somewhat Portuguese-influenced breakfast food.

Also as a preemptive strike I'm going to cast my vote AGAINST SoundBites in Ball Square, which I'm sure will come up. Rudest service I've ever experienced. If you have to be in that area, I'd stick to the breakfast snacks at the great cafe True Grounds across the street.

i'm a huge true grounds fan. they do such a good job with everything. for breakfast, their bagel sandwiches are a great effort. i think the bagels come from nashoba brook bakery, and though they aren't authentic bagels by any means, they make a nice breakfast. the scones i find spectacular. their coffee is among the best in boston.

I am a fan of Soundbites, and you will find people on this list are pretty equally divided between those who like it and those who really don't. I love their multi-grain waffle with fruit. They also do a great take on eggs benedict with spinach rather than canadian bacon. They can be a little heavy with the hollandaise, but will accommodate your request to go lightly.

Another great option right there (ball square) is True Grounds which has delicious grilled breakfast sandwiches and wraps. Not as varied a menu as Soundbites, but great atmosphere where you are encouraged to linger over your coffee/tea.

I'm also a big Soundbites fan. I gravitate towards their omelets. Their omelets are fluffy and chock full of good stuff. I also really enjoy their fried mashed potato cakes.

But, the key to enjoying Soundbites and to avoid the rude service is to go on a NON-weekend day. When I go, it's usually during the week or on an off hour on the weekend. I have never encountered bad service from there because of my timing, although I have read numerous postings who have.

I've also never had bad service at any of my visits to Soundbites and find Yasser (the owner) to be a nice guy. If you do go between 10AM and 1:30PM on a weekend day, be prepared to stand in line outside and then to having a rather quick breakfast so that the folks who took your place in line aren't out in the cold too long. A better tack is to go early or on a non-weekend day.

Just chiming in agreement on Soundbites. Had breakfast there on Monday and had the usual -- ham egg and cheese on an english muffin. $2.99. Yasser is much mellower on the weekdays and I like the serve yourself coffee (he insisted I take a cup to go with me).

Neighborhood, S&S and Rosebud are all awful, in my opinion.

Two places I've not yet tried but am curious about are the Broken Yolk on College Ave and the weekend brunch at Tu y Yo. Both located in the Powderhouse rotary area.

I tried the Broken Yolk on College Ave in Somerville for breakfast. I got scrambled eggs, homefries, sausage and wheat toast. For some strange reason the scrambled eggs didn't taste good. I love scrambled eggs and it's hard to screw up scrambled eggs. The homefries were okay but nothing special. The sausage and toast were the best part of the breakfast. I haven't returned.

Broken Yolk is passable, but really basic. The space is cramped, the coffee is watery(think D&D) and the meals are just ok. Very cheap though, if that's your thing. I had a BLT (yes, for breakfast) and my dining companion had some sort of breakfast sandwhich that was sloppy at best. I remember the bread of said sandwich being untoasted and that totally irking my fellow eater. I haven't returned since.

Yumyum, if you haven't tried Victor's Diner in Watertown you are missing out on a really delicious breakfast. They serve breakfast and lunch only. It's my favorite breakfast place. They give you plenty of good food for a good price. Their coffee is also good. Victor's Diner is located at 214 North Beacon Street in Watertown. I highly recommend it.

Seriously, to put the Rosebud in the same book as the Neighborhood is off the mark, in my opinion. The Neighborhood slings an excellent Portuguese breakfast - make sure you have the manna-like cream of wheat.

Perhaps, yumyum, you can elaborate on its awfulness? Awful sounds like quality issues, which I have never noticed. It's not the Ritz - it is what it is, in Francona-speak - but what they do, I feel they do quite well. Sorry, but this is one of my favorite breakfast places, so I'm interested to know your experiences and whether they were objectively awful or it's just a preference issue. I despise No. 9 Park, but I can't say it's awful. :)

I haven't been in a few years, but it was the go-to spot when I had a good friend in the neighborhood. After several tries over maybe 6 months I just refused to go back. I feel it's a quanitity over quality place -- the pastries were never that good, the coffee stunk, and egg dishes were just mediocre. Disclaimer -- I don't order waffles or pancakes, so if they are among your favorites there I can't comment. I'm sorry -- I do feel I gave the place a good shot before forming this strong impression.

Yumyum, I definitely would recommend that you give the place another shot.

I've lived in Somerville for only the last couple of years, but since I've found the place, I've had only good meals. I usually get the Portuguese Fisherman's Breakfast, which involves along with eggs, sides of rice and beans, toast, home fries and cod cakes, or these strange shrimp cakes (not a huge fan of those). But the cod cakes are delish. The coffee to me is like standard diner coffee, i.e., not bad. And have you had the cream of wheat? It is wonderful. I don't believe I've ever had or seen pastries.

Wait until the summer, when they move everyone out into the courtyard under the arbor. I'm not saying it's real gourmet, but definitely not awful and maybe it's gotten better since your last experience a few years ago. Believe me, I would not steer you wrong.

I will come out against Soundbites - the food was mediocre at best, the service was...well, I just like to call the guy who waited on me "the omlette nazi." I'd go to Rosebud (be prepared to wait and they don't really like you to linger to long) or if you're at Somerville/Cambridge border, S&S is good (again, be prepared to wait). Sorry, but I'm not going to share my favorite place because it's already getting to crowded and yuppified.

Also a huge SoundBites fan. I don't care if the service isn't top-notch, 'cause I'm there for the food, not the ambiance or a smiling waiter. The food is great and that's all that matters to me. The challah French toast is lovely, and I used to order it ("used to" only 'cause I no longer live in Boston!) with fruit, but with the fruit on the side. It made for a perfect serving. Love those NoPlaceLikeHome Fries, too, even though they're just chunky grilled mashed potatoes. I haven't found any places like SoundBites in any of the other places I've lived. I miss it dearly...